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W  A  L  L  A  C  K . 


No.    /2  3. 


SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE 


OF 


JAMES   WILLIAM  WALLACE, 

(senior,) 
LATE  ACTOR  AND  MANAGER. 


"  *        *        *        ;  and  the  elements 

So  mixM  in  him,  that  nature  might  stand  up 
And  say  to  all  the  world, —  Thin  wan  a  Man  .'" 

Shakebpkark. 


NEW    YORK: 
T.    H.   MORRELL, 

184  Fulton  Street. 

1865. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865,  by 

T.    H.    MOEBELL, 

In  the  Clerk's  Oflice  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


..*„*"".     .  Edition,  250  Copies,  of  which  50  are  on  Large  Paper. 


StROEN  I  TP.IPP,    P*INTe«». 


PREFACE. 


THE  following  pages  have  been  compiled  and  printed  in  this 
shape,  at  the  solicitation  of  a  number  of  the  friends  and 
admirers  of  the  late  lamented  artist  whose  name  appears  upon 
the  title  page,  they  being  desirous  of  preserving  a  suitable  me- 
morial in  some  neat  and  durable  form. 

The  compiler  makes  no  pretensions  to  originality  in  the  prep- 
aration of  this  sketch ;  a  great  portion  of  the  matter  having  been 
gathered  and  transcribed,  with  some  variations,  and  numerous  ad- 
ditions, from  the  various  obituary  notices  that  appeared  in  the 
newspapers  of  the  day,  and  more  particularly  in  the  columns  of 
the  New    York  Tribune  and  Herald. 

He  has,  also,  had  recourse  to  several  journals,  cotemporary  with 
Mr.  Wallack,  when  in  the  "  zenith  of  his  popularity,"  and  also 
to  a  number  of  volumes  of  dramatic  reminiscences  published  in 
this  country  during  the  past  few  years. 

Should,  therefore,  this  hurriedly-prepared  Memoir,  in  its  imper- 
fect state,  meet  with  the  commendation  of  even  a  few  of  such  as 
are  interested  in  a  history  of  the  professional  career  of  the  late 
Mr.  Wallack,  the  desire  of  the  compiler  will  have  been  more 
than  gratified. 

New  York,  January,  1865. 


R5S750 


>■ 


-I 


-A) 


MEMORIAL. 


AMES  WILLIAM  WALLACK  was 

born  in  London,  at  Hercules  Buildings, 
Lambeth,  on  the  24th  of  August,  1795. 
His  parents  had  both  attained  distinc- 
tion upon  the  stage ;  his  father,  Wil- 
liam Wallace,  being  a  celebrated  coin- 
median  and  vocalist,  while  his  mother, 
whose   maiden  name   was  Elizabeth  Field,  had 
played  the  leading  female  characters  with  Garrick 
for  several  years. 


It  was  their  intention  that  their  son  James 
should  enter  the  navy,  and  at  an  early  age  he 
received  his  appointment  as  midshipman;  but  his 
fondness  for  his  father's  profession,  to  which  he 
was  irresistibly  attracted,  induced  him  speedily  to 
renounce  all  ideas  of  following  the  perilous  for- 
tunes of  a  sea-faring  life,  and  he  therefore  became 


b  MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

soon  after  a  member  of  the  Academic  Theatre, 
established  by  Queen  Charlotte,  in  Leicester 
Street,  where  English  and  German  children  ap- 
peared on  alternate  nights. 

It  is  said  that  when  only  four  years  of  age  he 
';:;<  made.' his:  first  appearance  on  any  stage,  at  the 
Royal  .Circus^in  a  fairy  spectacle.  It  was  dur- 
'•  'ih'g'  one  of  the  performances  of  the  'Academicals'1 
that  his  earnest  and  vigorous  impersonations  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  distinguished  Irish 
orator  and  dramatist,  Richard  Brinsley  Sheri- 
dan, who,  in  consequence,  was  influential  in  ob- 
taining for  him,  then  only  twelve  years  of  age,  an 
engagement  at  Drury  Lane  Theatre.  He  here 
remained  attached  to  the  regular  company,  stead- 
ily rising  in  public  favor,  until  the  destruction  of 
that  building  by  fire,  which  occurred  on  the  night 
of  the  24th  February,  1809. 

He  soon  after  went  to  Ireland,  but  shortly  re- 
turned, and  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  appeared  on 
the  occasion  of  the  opening  of  the  New  Theatre 
Royal,  Drury  Lane,  as  Laertes  to  the  Hamlet  of 
the  eccentric  Robert  William  Elliston. 


MEMOIR    OF    JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.  7 

He  subsequently,  during  the  engagement  of 
Edmund  Kean,  supported  him  with  great  ability, 
having  been  assigned  such  characters  as  Iago, 
Edgar,  Macduff,  Richmond,  and  others,  second 
only  in  importance  to  those  of  the  great  tragedian 
of  the  day. 

About  this  time,  1817,  his  marriage  with  the 
daughter  of  the  celebrated  actor,  Mr.  John  John- 
stone, familiarly  known  as  "Irish  Johnstone," 
took  place,  and  he  shortly  thereafter,  through  the 
intervention  of  his  personal  friend,  Lord  Byron, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  Drury  board  of  direc- 
tors, having  obtained  two  years  leave  of  absence 
from  that  Theatre,  departed  on  his  first  visit  to 
the  shores  of  America. 

He  made  his  debut  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
at  the  Park  Theatre,  in  the  character  of  Macbeth, 
on  the  7th  of  September,  1818.  His  success  was 
instantaneous  and  decided,  his  reception  by  a 
house  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity,  being  of 
the  most  enthusiastic  description. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  he  appeared,  for  the 
first  time,    in   Boston,   as   Folia,    (in   Sheridan's 


8  MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

popular  play  of  Pizarro,)  his  impersonation  of 
which  character  being  pronounced  one  of  the 
finest  specimens  of  melo-dramatic  acting  ever  wit- 
nessed in  America ;  and,  with  the  exception  of 
John  Philip  Kemble's,  probably  unrivalled  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Commended  by 
the  warm  admiration  of  his  own  countrymen,  and 
with  the  advantage,  too,  of  the  endorsement  of 
the  New  York  public,  with  whom  his  popularity 
was  convincingly  established,  he  was  flatteringly 
received  in  the  "Athens  of  America,11  and  was, 
on  all  occasions,  greeted  by  full  and  appreciative 
houses. 

During  this  season  he  also  performed  engage- 
ments in  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  appearing 
as  Rolla,  Macbeth,  Octavian,  Richard,  etc.,  and 
playing  in  the  latter  city  for  thirteen  nights,  re- 
ceiving at  his  first  benefit  the  handsome  sum  of 
fifteen  hundred  and  twenty  dollars. 

Renewing  his  engagement  in  that  city,  ( Phila- 
delphia,) for  seven  additional  nights,  he  gave, 
with  great  approbation,  Bertram,  Richard  II., 
Don  Felix,  etc.,  etc.,  and  on  his  benefit,  the  fol- 
lowing imitations:   Keinble  as  Rolla,  Munden..&9 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLAOK,   SEN.  » 

Peter  in  "The  Cabinet,1'  Betty  as  Young  Norval, 
Matthews  as  Buskin,  Rae  as  Ordonio,  Cooke  as 
Richard,  Fawcett  as  Blanchard  in  "John  Bull," 
Kean  as  Shylock,  and  Incledon  as  Hawthorn. 

His  elder  brother,  Mr.  Henry  Wallack,  also 
performed  in  Baltimore,  in  this  year,  it  being  his 
first  appearance  in  the  United  States. 

This  gentleman  still  survives,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-two, and  is  now,  I  believe,  residing  in  Lon- 
don. 

In  1819  Mr.  Wallack  played  a  prosperous  en- 
gagement in  Savannah,  Ga.,  and  in  the  same  year 
his  eldest  son,  Mr.  John  Lester  Wallack,  (the 
stage  manager  and  leading  actor,  and  now  the 
sole  proprietor,  of  his  father's  theatre  in  Broad- 
way,) was  born. 

For  two  years  Mr.  Wallace  appeared  in  almost 
the  entire  range  of  his  characters,  among  which 
were  Hamlet,  Richard,  Coriolanus,  Don  Felix, 
(in  the  Wonder, )  Martin  Heyivood,  (in  the  Rent 
Day, )  and  Massaroni,  ( in  the  Brigand, )  a  role  so 
admirably  portrayed  by  his  talented  son   above- 


10       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES   WILLIAM    WALLAOK,   SEN. 

mentioned,  a  few  years  since,  at  the  old  theatre  on 
the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Broome  street,  and 
which  produced  at  the  time  so  great  an  impression, 
electrifying  his  audiences,  and  reviving  in  the  minds 
of  old  play-goers  the  halcyon  days  of  his  father. 

.  Mr.  James  H.  Hackett,  so  well  known  from 
his  original  and  able  representation  of  Falstaff,  in 
his  recent  work  published  in  this  city,  and  entitled 
"Notes  and  Comments  on  Shakespeare,11  referring 
to  our  actor1  s  first  appearance  in  this  country, 
says: 

"Mr.  Wallack  then  seemed  not  more  than 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  came  directly  from  Drury 
Lane,  where  he  had  already  attained  a  high  rank 
in  a  profession  then  graced  by  many  eminent 
artists;  and  the  season  of  1818  was  Mr.  Wal- 
laces first  in  America.  His  figure  and  personal 
bearing  on  or  off  the  stage  were  very  distingue  ; 
his  eye  was  sparkling;  his  hair  dark,  curly,  and 
luxuriant ;  his  facial  features  finely  chiselled ;  and 
together  with  the  natural  conformation  of  his  head, 
throat,  and  chest,  Mr.  Wallack  presented  a  re- 
markable specimen  of  manly  beauty.  He  at  once 
became,  and  continued  to  be,  — during  visits  which 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES   WILLIAM   WALLACK,    SEN.       11 

were  repeated,  occasionally  protracted,  and  were 
seldom  separated  by  intervals  longer  than  a  theat- 
rical season  or  two  each,  and  for  a  term  of  more 
than  twenty  years,  — one  of  the  greatest  and  most 
invariably  attractive  favorites  furnished  the  Amer- 
ican by  the  British  stage. 

"  With  particular  reference  to  Mr.  Wallaces 
Hamlet,  which,  as  it  has  happened,  I  have  not 
had  an  opportunity  to  witness  since  my  youth, 
when  my  ideas  of  the  character  were  crude  and 
superficial,  and  which,  therefore,  it  would  be  un- 
just in  me  now  to  criticise  retrospectively,  I  did 
then  very  well  note  that  Mr.  Wallaces  action 
was  easy  and  graceful ;  his  voice  and  articulation 
were  clear  and  distinct;  and  though  from  the 
impression  it  made,  and  which  I  still  retain  of 
that  early-seen  performance,  it  might,  according  to 
my  later  and  more  matured  ideal,  have  lacked  a 
sufficiency  of  weight  in  the  philosophical  portions, 
and  also  of  depth  and  intensity  of  meditation  in 
the  soliloquies,  it  was  then  unanimously  approved 
and  a  special  favorite  with  the  New  York  public. 
.Mr.  Wallace:,  besides  being  popular  in  a  number 
of  leading  tragic  parts,  was  esteemed  without  an 
equal  as  Don  Felix  in  the  comedy  of  The  Wonder, 


12       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

and  throughout  the  range  of  genteel  and  high- 
spirited  comedy  generally,  as  also  in  a  number  of 
melo- dramatic  characters. 

"His  Martin  Hey  wood  in  "The  Rent  Day" 
Massaroni  in  "The  Brigand"  and  his  Don  Caesar 
de  Bazan  in  later  years,  manifested  a  high  and 
exquisite  order  of  art;  while  those  who  in  Mr. 
Wallaces  early  days  saw  his  Rolla  in  the  play 
of  "Pizarro"  can  never  forget  that  it  was  unap- 
proached  by  any  other  performer,  and  the  most 
remarkably  picturesque,  fascinating  and  continu- 
ally attractive  performance  then  known  to  the 
American  stage. 

"In  versatility  of  talent,  probably  the  stage  has 
never  had  any  other  actor  capable  of  satisfying  the 
public  in  such  a  variety  of  prominent  characters ; 
his  costumes,  too,  were  remarkably  characteristic, 
and  always  in  admirable  taste,  and  Mr.  Wallack, 
in  every  respect,  has  proved  himself  a  complete 
master  of  the  histrionic  art." 


"  His  was  the  gifted  eye,  which  grace  still  touch'd 
As  if  with  second  nature  ;  and  his  dreams, 
His  childish  dreams,  were  lit  by  hues  of  heaven — 

Those  which  make  Genius." 

Mist  London. 


V 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN.        13 

After  realizing  considerable  in  amount,  and  his 
popularity  much  increased,  he,  after  two  years  of 
unprecedented  success,  returned  to  England,  again 
appearing  at  Drury  Lane,  where  he  was  cordially 
welcomed  by  the  friends  and  companions  of  his 
earlier  days.  Remaining,  however,  but  a  single 
season,  he  again  visited  America,  in  the  year  1822, 
to  be  as  before  the  recipient  of  a  most  brilliant  and 
flattering  reception. 

It  was  during  this  visit  that  while  journeying  to 
Philadelphia,  having  been  announced  to  appear 
at  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre,  as  Hamlet,  the 
stasre-coach  in  which  he  travelled  was  overturned, 
and  he  suffered  a  compound  fracture  of  the  leg, 
Avhich  incapacitated  him  for  his  professional  duties 
for  the  space  of  eighteen  months,  and  the  effect  of 
which  was  always  partially  discernible  throughout 
his  life.  When  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  from 
this  unfortunate  check  to  his  labors  and  his  tri- 
umphs, he  again  departed  for  England,  leaving 
however,  his  wardrobe,  etc.,  in  New  York,  in 
which  city  he  resolved  only,  if  ever  again,  to  make 
his  re- appearance. 

And  kind  Fortune,  his  patron  Saint  during  a 


14       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

long  and  honorable  life,  destined  that  he  should 
again  appear  on  the  boards  of  the  old  Park,  after 
an  absence  of  nearly  two  years. 

The  New  York  public  had  evinced  profound 
regret  at  his  misfortune,  and  now  assembled  in 
overwhelming  numbers  to  express  their  sympathy 
and  to  extend  to  him  an  earnest  welcome,  all  the 
more  hearty  and  sincere  because  of  a  general  con- 
viction that  his  thorough  recovery  was  impossible, 
and  that  his  future  career  must  be  limited  to  the 
representation  of  a  few  exceptional  parts. 

He  was  announced  to  appear  in  two  plays,  and 
as  he  hobbled  upon  the  stage  on  crutches,  in  the 
character  of  Captain  Bertram,  (an  old  sailor,)  the 
apprehensions  of  his  friends  seemed  realized,  and 
there  were  audible  manifestations  of  pity  from  the 
audience,  who  were  moved  with  grief  to  see  the 
favorite  artist  thus  apparently  deprived  of  the  free 
use  of  his  limbs. 

The  expression  of  surprise  and  enthusiasm  may 
be  readily  imagined  when,  in  the  second  piece  — 
"  My  Aunt11 — he  bounded  upon  the  stage,  as  Dick 
Dashall,  with  the  elasticity  and  vigor  that  had 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       15 

been  wont  to  distinguish  him  in  his  earlier  en- 
gagements. 

About  this  period  Mr.  Wallack,  during  his 
stay  in  England,  became  stage  manager  of  Drury 
Lane  (  Booth  having  retired )  under  Elliston,  occa- 
sionally playing  leading  parts;  and,  it  is  said,  he 
was  several  times  honored  by  invitations  to  act  at 
the  royal  palace. 

He  also  belonged  at  this  time  to  the  Garrick 
Club,  at  which  a  fine  bust  of  him  is  still  preserved, 
and  he  was  associated  with  some  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished men  of  the  time.  In  1827  he  played 
Othello  to  the  lago  of  Edmund  Kean. 

A  memorable  event  in  the  history  of  the  Eng- 
lish stage  occurred  in  the  year  1828,  (in  which  Mr. 
Wallack  was  one  of  the  prominent  movers, )  and 
which  is  but  another  proof  of  the  kindly  feeling 
evinced  by  the  members  of  the  dramatic  profession 
towards  their  brother  actors  when  in  the  hour  of 
need  and  distress. 

It  was  the  occasion  of  the  farewell  benefit  and 
last  appearance  in  public  of  poor  old  Joe  Grimaldi, 


16       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

the  Gar  rick  of  clowns,  who  was  compelled,  on 
account  of  severe  and  protracted  bodily  infirmities, 
to  bid  adieu  to  the  profession  to  which  he  had  been 
attached  for  so  many  years.  Among  those  who 
took  an  especial  interest  in  making  arrangements 
for  this  much  needed  testimonial,  no  one  was  more 
indefatigable  in  his  exertions,  and  rendered  more 
efficient  aid,  than  our  young  actor,  who  exerted 
himself  as  much  as  he  could  have  done  if  the  night 
had  been  his  own. 

The  affair  came  off  at  Drury  Lane  on  the  night 
of  the  28th  of  June,  1828,  the  performances  con- 
sisting of  a  number  of  popular  pieces,  concluding 
with  the  Harlequin  Hoax,  in  .which  Mr.  Grimalm, 
after  repeating  his  famous  rendition  of  the  jester, 
sang  his  last  song,  and  with  the  delivery  of  a  fare- 
well address  made  his  final  bow  to  the  public. 

The  benefit  exceeded  the  most  sanguine  expec- 
tations, realizing  a  clear  profit  of  two  hundred  and 
seventy  pounds  sterling. 

The  old  man  survived  but  a  few  years,  and  died 
in  1837,  having  left  as  a  legacy  to  his  profession 
the  memoirs  of  his  life,  which  he  had  written  in  his 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES   WILLIAM    WALLACE,    SEN.       17 

latter  days,  and  which  have  since  been  published, 
running  through  a  number  of  editions. 

Shortly  after,  in  1828,  Mr.  Wallace  again 
meditated  making  a  trip  to  this  country. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  closing  of  the  Drury 
Lane  Theatre  for  the  season  he  was  presented  by 
his  fellow  actors  of  that  establishment,  over  which 
he  had  presided  as  their  manager  for  three  years, 
with  a  handsome  service  of  plate,  accompanied  by 
a  feeling  address,  which  was  delivered  by  the  cele- 
brated comedian,  Mr.  Charles  Matthews. 

It  was  indeed  a  deserving  tribute  of  respect  and 
esteem,  and  the  highest  compliment  to  the  impar- 
tial and  honorable  manner  in  which  he  had  dis- 
charged his  arduous  and  numerous  duties. 

He  was  accompanied  on  his  voyage  to  New 
York,  in  September  of  this  year,  by  the  favorite 
and  distinguished  actress,  Mrs.  Barnes,  and  soon 
after  his  arrival  appeared,  as  usual,  at  the  "Drury 
of  America,"  drawing  fuller  houses  than  any  pre- 
ceding performer  of  that  season. 


18       MEMOIR   OE  JAMES   WILLIAM   WALLACE,  SEN. 

In  November  he  played  an  engagement  in  Phil- 
adelphia, at  the  Arch  Street  Theatre,  under  the 
management  of  Mr.  Wood,  that  gentleman  offering 
him  two  hundred  dollars  per  night  for  his  services, 
Mr.  Forrest  being  the  counter  attraction  at  the 
Walnut,  receiving  the  same  compensation. 

Cooper,  the  tragedian,  was  then  also  performing 
at  the  Chestnut  Street  Theatre. 

Thus  were  three  theatres  struggling  in  that  city 
for  existence;  a  bitter  spirit  of  rivalry  existing 
between  the  managers,  who  were  striving  with 
ceaseless  and  unflinching  energy  each  to  outvie 
in  attraction  and  popularity  the  establishment  of 
the  other,  and  making  the  most  fearful  sacrifices 
to  overthrow  professionally  his  opponent. 

In  December,  the  J  war  of  the  managers, '  hav- 
ing ceased,  Mr.  Wallack  played  for  a  few  nights 
at  the  Chestnut,  and  then  returned  to  New  York. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1829,  was  performed 
for. the  first  time  in  America,  at  the  Park  Theatre, 
Miss  Mary  Russell  Mitford's  new  tragedy  of  Bi- 
enzi,  introducing  Mr.  Wallack  in  the  role  of  the 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACE,   SEN.        19 

hero  —  and  quoting  from  a  periodical  of  the  day, 
devoted  to  "literature,  the  drama  and  the  fine 
arts, "  we  find  the  following : 

*********  Mr  Wallace's 
Rienzi  was  good  throughout  —  often  excellent  — 
and  some  passages  given  in  a  style  that  we  con* 
ceive  could  not  well  be  improved  by  any  man. 
His  conception  of  the  character  appeared  to  us 
correct — his  action  free  and  graceful — his  articu- 
lation clear  and  distinct ;  and  at  times  there  was 
a  fire  and  energy  thrown  into  some  of  the  spirit- 
stirring  harangues  that  went  home  to  the  heart, 
whilst  the  domestic  scenes  with  his  daughter  were 
replete  with  delicate  touches  of  nature  and  feel- 
ing      *******     jn  characters  of  an 

heroic  or  romantic  cast,  when  the  moral  feelings 
of  the  audience  are  enlisted  on  his  side,  there  is 
no  man  like  him, — 

"  A  love  of  right,  a  scorn  of  wrong, 

Are  written  on  his  manly  brow  and  in  his  manly  eye," — 

while  a  voice,  "  rich  in  its  mellow  depth,  "  pours 
forth  the  glowing  sentiments  of  his  author  with  a 
fervor  and  feeling  that  well  nigh  approach  per- 
fection. " 


20       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

Rienzi  was  revived  by  Mr.  Wallack  at  the 
same  theatre,  in  1836,  in  all  its  original  splendor, 
and  subsequently  at  his  charming  little  house  in 
Broadway,  corner  of  Broome  Street,  where  it  at- 
tracted for  a  succession  of  nights  immense  audi- 
ences, including  many  old  play-goers,  who  had 
witnessed  its  first  representation.  In  1832  (in 
the  interim  visiting  his  native  land, )  he  played  a 
number  of  engagements  in  this  city ;  and  the  fol- 
lowing brief  extracts,  from  an  article  written  for 
the  Sunday  Times,  entitled  "  The  "Old"  Park 
Theatre,  by  an  Ex- Reporter"  and  appearing 
in  the  columns  of  that  journal  a  few  years  ago, 
may  not  be  uninteresting  at  this  time. 

"On  Monday,  September  3d,  Mr.  James  Wal- 
lack— the  Wallack — commenced  an  engagement 
with  *  Pizarro '  and  *  My  Aunt, '  and  drew 
eight  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  and  fifty  cents. 
*  *  *  *  *  On  Wednesday,  Mr.  Wallack's 
second  night,  '  The  Rent  Day '  and  '  Spring 
and  Autumn '  were  performed  to  six  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents.  On 
Thursday,  he,  with  the  Ravels,  drew  a  fair 
house  —  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  and  sev- 
enty-five cents.     On  Friday,  Mr.  Wallack  play- 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN.       21 

ed  in  the  '  Rent  Day '  and  '  Spring  and  Au- 
tumn,' to  six  hundred  and  eighteen  dollars  and 
twenty-five  cents,  and  on  Saturday  he  appeared 
to  four  hundred  and  forty- seven  dollars. 

On  Monday,  September  10th,  Mr.  Wallack 
repeated  '  Pizarro '  and  'My  Aunt,1  to  four 
hundred  and  ninety-six  dollars.  On  Tuesday, 
'  The  Rent  Day  '  and  '  The  Adopted  Child '  were 
played  to  five  hundred  and  twenty  dollars.  On 
Wednesday,  Mr.  Hackett  played  to  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents,  and 
on  Thursday  Mr.  Wallack  appeared  to  four  hun- 
dred and  ten  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents. 

On  Friday,  'The  Brigand,1  'The  Rent  Day,1 
and  'The  Adopted  Child,1  drew  one  thousand 
forty- eight  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  being  Mr.  Wal- 
laces benefit.  On  Saturday,  Mr.  Hackett  play- 
ed 'Rip  Van  Winkle,1  Brother  Jonathan,  etc., 
to  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  dollars  and  twen- 
ty-five cents.11 

4f 

He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Charles  Kemble, 
and  subsequently  by  Miss  Fanny  Kemble,  and  in 
October  was  re-engaged,  performing  his  usual  line 


m 


i 


22       MEMOIR    OF    JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACE,   SEN. 

of  characters,  and  appearing  in  connection  with 
Miss  Clara  Fisher  (now  Mrs.  Maeder,)  for 
whose  benefit  he  performed  Don  Felix  in  'The 
Wonder 1  on  the  evening  of  the  1st  of  November ; 
Master  Burke  playing  also  on  the  same  night. 
Receipts  eight  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars 
and  seventy-five  cents. 

In  1835  Mr.  Wallack  made  a  professional  trip 
to  Baltimore.  His  engagement  at  the  Holiday 
Street  Theatre  lasted  however  but  a  few  nights, 
the  good  people  of  the  'Monumental  city,'  for 
some  unaccountable  cause,  not  extending  to  him 
on  this  occasion  the  cordial  and  enthusiastic  pa- 
tronage that  had  uniformly  been  accorded  him. 

This  apparent  coolness,  so  unexpected  and  un- 
called for,  without  having  any  tendency  to  dis- 
hearten our  actor,  did  not  fail  to  produce  a  strong 
impression  on  him  ;  his  not  too  sensitive,  yet  im- 
pulsive nature,  prompted  him  to  speak,  on  the 
evening  of  his  last  appearance,  his  own  views  on 
the  subject,  unreservedly  and  with  frankness. 


His  address  to  the  audience  is  here  given  ver- 
batim. 


Vtfjmr 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       23 


& 


J 


"Ladies  and  Gentlemen: — I  appear  before 
you  at  your  call.  I  am  unaccustomed  to  extem- 
poraneous speaking ;  but  however  reluctant  I 
may  usually  be  to  address  a  public  audience,  I 
am  free  to  confess,  that  I  never  felt  more  embar- 
rassment than  on  the  present  occasion.  I  am  but 
a  plain  man,  and  speak  the  words  of  truth,  not- 
withstanding my  profession  leads  me  to  assume 
the  garb  of  fiction.  If  I  were  to  tell  you  that  I 
leave  Baltimore  gratified,  I  should  tell  you  a  lie 
—  for,  of  the  ten  nights  I  have  played  in  this  city, 
this  is  the  only  audience  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  witnessing,  and  you  have  my  sincere  thanks  for 
honoring  my  name  by  your  appearance  this  even- 
ing. I  am  aware  of  the  duties  —  of  far  more 
importance  to  you  than  my  poor  services  —  that 
have  prevented  your  honoring  me  with  your  at- 
tendance, which  otherwise,  if  I  may  be  allowed  to 
judge  by  the  audiences  I  have  received  in  other 
cities,  would,  I  doubt  not,  have  been  more  gener- 
al. I  therefore  repeat,  that  I  thank  you  most 
kindly  for  doing  me  the  honor  you  have,  by  ap- 
pearing here  to  night ;  and,  with  the  hope  that 
when  I  may  come  among  you  again  I  shall  at 
least  occasionally  see  such  an  audience  as  the  one 
before  me,  I  bid  you  farewell.1' 


24       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACE.,   SEN. 

He  then  returned  to  New  York,  and  appeared 
at  the  Park  Theatre. 

From  the  " Ex- Reporter 's  Journal"  we  again 
extract : 

"On  Wednesday  (Oct.  21st,  1835,)  Mr.  Wal- 
lace: commenced  another  engagement,  and  played 
in  '  Pizarro '  and  'My  Aunt,'  to  nine  hundred 
and  nineteen  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  *  *  Miss 
Phillips  appeared  with  Mr.  Wallace  on  Satur- 
day, in  'The  Hunchback,1  ('The  Brigand1  being 
the  after-piece,)  to  eight  hundred  and  eighty-four 
dollars  and  seventy-five  cents. 

Monday,  Oct.  26th,  '  The  Wife  '  and  '  Spring 
and  Autumn, '  with  Mr.  Wallace  and  Miss  Phil- 
lips, drew  five  hundred  and  seventy-two  dollars. 

On  Tuesday,  Mr.  Placide  took  a  benefit,  and 
paid  Mr.  Simpson  five  hundred  dollars  for  the 
house,  etc.  The  receipts  were  about  six  hundred 
and  twenty  dollars. 

The   '  Merchant  of  Venice 1  and  the   '  Brigand  ' 


MEMOIR   OF    JAMES    WILLIAM   WALLACE,    SEN.      25 

on  Wednesday  drew  six   hundred   and   nineteen 
dollars.     *     *     *     * 

Mr.  Wallack  took  a  benefit  and  closed  his  en- 
gagement on  Friday.  'The  Rent  Day,1  'Spring 
and  Autumn,'  and  'The  Adopted  Child'  were 
played,  and  although  a  heavy  storm  prevailed, 
the  rain  falling  in  torrents,  the  receipts  amounted 
to  one  thousand  and  forty  dollars  and  twenty-five 
cents." 

Re-appeared  in  November  for  a  few  nights, 
Yankee  H'dl  performing  alternately  with  him. 

On  the  evening  of  the  21st  of  December,  1835, 
while  the  public  mind  had  scarcely  recovered  from 
the  shock  occasioned  by  the  recent  dreadful  ca- 
lamity which  had  visited  the  city  in  the  form  of 
the  most  extensive  and  terrible  conflagration  that 
had  ever  occurred  in  this  country,  Mr.  Wallack 
again  commenced  an  engagement,  and  though  ap- 
pearing in  two  of  his  most  popular  characters, 
Bolla  and  Dick  Dashall,  the  receipts  were  only 
three  hundred  and  seven  dollars  and  seventy-five 
cents,  undoubtedly  owing  to  the  still  depressed 
state  of  the  public  heart,  and  the  excessively  cold 


26       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

weather  combined,  the  thermometer  being,  during 
that  memorable  month,  frequently  down  to  zero. 

It  will  not  probably  be  amiss  to  here  state  that 
the  receipts  at  the  Park  Theatre  on  the  night  of 
the  fire,  December  16th,  were  only  one  hundred 
and  fifty-four  dollars,  the  weather  being  the  cold- 
est of  the  season. 

On  Christmas  night,  just  twenty-nine  years  ago 
from  the  date  of  the  death  of  the  lamented  subject 
of  this  memoir,  he  appeared  in  his  favorite  role  of 
the  \  Brigand,'  which,  —  together  with  the  specta- 
cle of  the  'Virgin  of  the  Sun,1  and  a  ballet, — 
constituted  the  evening's  performances,  and  drew 
one  thousand  one  hundred  and  forty-three  dollars 
and  twenty-five  cents. 

But  too  many  statistics  may  weary  the  readers 
of  this  little  sketch,  and  we  will  therefore  briefly 
refer  to  Mr.  Wallack's  subsequent  career. 

On  the  11th  of  January,  1836,  he  appeared  in 
Philadelphia  for  the  benefit  of  his  friend,  Mr. 
William  B.  Wood,  another  distinguished  veteran 
actor  and  manager,  "now  gone  to  his  long  home." 


m 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       27 

In  the  same  year,  played  in  New  York  several 
engagements,  ( always  at  the  Park, )  appearing  as 
Shylock,  St  Pierre,  etc.,  and  reviving  Rienzi  as 
referred  to  above. 

Mr.  Hamblin  also  produced  the  same  piece  at 
the  Bowery  Theatre,  in  gorgeous  style,  and  we 
believe  it  was  also  brought  out  about  the  same 
time  at  the  old  Franklin  Theatre. 

In  the  month  of  May  of  this  year,  Mr.  Wal- 
lack  took  passage  for  Europe,  previous  to  which 
however  he  adopted  the  example  set  him  by  oth- 
ers of  his  profession,  and  more  particularly  the 
then  rising  "Star  of  the  American  Stage,"  Mr. 
Edwin  Forrest,  ( through  whose  munificence  and 
patronage  our  dramatic  literature  has  been  so  en- 
riched, and  to  whom  the  American  stage  is  in- 
debted for  the  popular  plays  of  '  The  Gladiator ' 
and  'The  Broker  of  Bogota,1  by  Dr.  R  M.  Bird, 
'Metamora,1  by  Mr.  John  Augustus  Stone,  etc., 
etc.,)  and  offered  a  premium  for  an  original  play 
to  be  constructed  especially  in  view  of  his  peculiar 
style  of  acting. 

The  following  letter  addressed  to  the  editor  of 


28       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

the  New  York  Mirror,  the  late  General  George 
P.  Morris,  will  be  read  with  interest  in  this  con- 
nection. 


Packet  Ship  Sheffield,  i 
May  28^,  1836.       \ 

My  Dear  Sir  : 

I  am  most  anxious  to  procure,  on  my  return  to 
the  United  States,  an  original  play  by  a  native 
author,  and  on  some  striking  and  powerful  Amer- 
ican subject.  Of  course,  I  am  desirous  that  the 
principal  character  should  be  made  prominent, 
and  adapted  to  me  and  my  dramatick  capabilities, 
such  as  they  may  happen  to  be.  Will  you  be 
kind  enough  to  offer  for  such  a  production  the 
sum  of  one  thousand  dollars,  which  I  will  pay  to 
any  writer  who  will  present  the  best  piece  of  the 
description  alluded  to.  All  manuscripts  will  be 
submitted  to  a  committee  of  literary  gentlemen  of 
your  city,  and  to  the  author  of  the  play  selected 
by  them  will  be  adjudged  the  premium  just  speci- 
fied. Be  kind  enough  to  insert  the  enclosed  ad- 
vertisement in  the  Mirror ;  and,  with  very  many 
thanks  for  the  kind  manner  in  which  you  have  in- 


MEMOIR    OF    JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.        29 

terested  yourself  in  this  matter  tor  me,  I  am,  my 
dear  sir,  your  obliged  and  faithful  servant, 

James  Wallack. 

To  George  P.  Morris,  Esq., 

Editor  of  the  Mirror. 

The  following  is  the  advertisement  referred  to: 

To  Native  Dramatick  Authors. 

The  subscriber  offers  the  sum  of  one  thousand 
dollars  for  the  best  original  play  upon  an  attrac- 
tive and  striking  subject  in  American  history. 
The  principal  part  to  be  adapted  to  his  style  of 
acting.  A  committee  of  literary  gentlemen  will 
be  chosen  to  decide  upon  the  merits  of  such  plays 
as  may  be  submitted  to  them  for  this  premium, 
which  will  be  awarded  to  the  writer  of  the  best 
production  of  the  above  description.  It  is  re- 
quested that  all  manuscripts  may  be  sent,  (post 
paid, )  on  or  before  the  first  of  October  next,  ad- 
dressed to  George  P.  Morris,  Esq.,  New  York 
Mirror  Office. 

James  Wallack. 


30       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES   WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN, 

Whether  in  desiring  thus  to  encourage  the  dra- 
matic talent  of  this  country,  his  generous  offer 
met  with  its  merited  appreciation,  and  the  antici- 
pated result  at  this  time,  the  compiler  is  not 
aware,  although  several  years  after  Mr.  Wallack 
appeared  in  an  original  play,  written  expressly 
for  him  by  Mr,  N.  P.  Willis,  and  which  will  be 
noticed  hereafter  in  these  pages. 

On  his  return  to  New  York  a  few  months  after, 
he  played  an  engagement  at  the  National  Thea- 
tre, corner  of  Church  and  Leonard  Streets,  and 
in  the  following  year  undertook  the  management 
of  this  house,  selecting  the  finest  company  proba- 
bly ever  gathered  together  in  any  place  of  amuse- 
ment in  this  city,  not  excepting,  I  think,  even 
that  subsequently  congregated  at  ' '  Old  Wal- 
lack1 s.11  This  theatre,  (the  National,)  was  re- 
opened under  Mr.  Wallack1  s  auspices,  on  the 
28th  of  August,  1837,  his  brother,  Henry,  acting 
as  stage-manager. 

To  those  familiar  with  the  sterling  ability,  ju- 
dicious taste  and  liberality  displayed  by  Mr. 
Wallack  in  his  managerial  capacity  during  the 
past  twelve  years,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  state 
that  the   'drooping  fortunes  of  the  old  National 


MEMOIR    OF    JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       31 

were  again  revived,  ■  and  that  it  was  soon  establish- 
ed as  one  of  the  favorite  resorts  of  our  amuse- 
ment-loving citizens.  And  to  the  enterprising 
spirit  of  Mr.  Wallace:  alone  could  be  attributed 
the  signal  success  achieved  at  this  theatre. 

At  the  National,  during  our  manager's  control- 
ling influence,  appeared  among  others,  the  charm- 
ing opera  troupe,  so  favorably  remembered,  and 
consisting  of  the  Seguins,  Miss  Shirreff,  De 
Begnis,  Wilson,  etc.,  etc.,  Madame  Celeste, 
Vandenhoff,  Hackett,  etc. 

And  besides  Mr.  Wallack  himself  occasionally 
acting,  his  brother  Henry,  together  with  his  son 
J.  W.  Wallack,  Jr.,  (now  one  of  the  finest 
melo-dramatic  actors  on  the  stage,)  also  frequent- 
ly performed. 

In  April,  1839,  Mr.  Wallack  produced  at  the 
National  N.  P.  Willis's  new  play  of  '  Tortesa 
the  Usurer,1  himself  sustaining  the  principal 
character,  which,  as  before  stated,  had  been  writ- 
ten especially  for  him. 

This  play  was  presented  in  superb  style,  the 


32       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

scenic  arrangements  evincing  in  all  their  appoint- 
ments, the  same  liberal  spirit  of  profuse  expendi- 
ture which  had  characterised  every  production  of 
the  season,  and  it  met  with  marked  success,  keep- 
ing possession  of  the  stage  for  several  weeks. 

Prior  to  his  leaving  for  England,  in  this  month, 
he  was  tendered  by  his  friends  and  admirers  a 
complimentary  benefit-,  at  which  the  inimitable 
comedian,  Mr.  W.  E.  Burton,  volunteered  to  per- 
form, coming  from  Philadelphia  expressly  for  that 
purpose,  and  appearing  as  Sir  Simon  Slack  in 
'Spring  and  Autumn,'  Mr.  Wallack  playing  al- 
so in  the  same  piece.     ,  u/7,   :iy 

The  beneficiary,  then,  as  on  every  similar  occa- 
sion, had  no  cause  to  complain  of  the  brilliant 
ovation  accorded  him. 

Mr.  Wallack  immediately  sailed  for  England, 
in  the  steamship  Great  Western,  returning  in  $ 
few  weeks  after  in  the  same  vessel.  He  soon  how- 
ever made  another  trip,  introducing  at  the  Surrey 
theatre  'Tortesa,1  supported  by  the  accomplish- 
ed actress,  Mrs.  Vining;  and  although  he  was  suf- 
fering from  illness,  it  is  said   "  he  played  with  far 


MEMOIR.   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.      33 

more  fire  than  usual,  and  drew  down  thunders  of 
applause."  The  play  was  also  highly  successful, 
and  was  repeated  for  many  nights  to  large  audi- 
ences. During  the  ensuing  season,  Mr.  Edwin 
Forrest  played  a  brilliant  engagement  at  the  Na- 
tional, under  Mr.  Wallack's  management,  the 
house  having  been  completely  renovated  and  re- 
paired, and  presenting,  on  its  re-opening,  a  beau- 
tiful appearance,  "resplendent  with  glittering  dec- 
orations of  gold,  and  tasteful  paintings.'1 

Mr.  Charles  Kean  (son  of  the  eminent  tragedi- 
an,) played  an  engagement  at  this  house  at  the 
close  of  Mr.  Forrest's,  but  was  unfortunately 
compelled  to  temporarily  relinquish  it,  owing  to  a 
sudden  fit  of  illness. 

In  September  of  this  year,  resulting  thus  far  so 
prosperously  for  the  management,  this  beautiful 
theatre, — which  Mr.  Wallack  had  endeavored  so 
arduously  to  render  one  of  the  most  attractive 
places  of  amusement  in  the  city,  introducing  as  he 
did  the  most  refined  and  elevated  entertainments, 
and  rivalling  in  popularity  the  old  Park  Theatre, — 
was  totally  destroyed  by  fire.  And  in  no  better 
terms  can  an  idea  of  that   unfortunate  event  be 


34       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

conveyed  to  the  mind  of  the  reader,  than  by  the 
insertion  here  of  the  following  graphic  account  by 
an  eye-witness,  published  in  one  of  the  weekly 
journals  of  that  period  : 

"Seldom  is  it  that  we  are  inclined  to  visit  the 
scene  of  a  conflagration,  but  so  strong  an  interest 
did  we  feel  for  those  who  would  suffer  from  the 
destruction  of  the  once  beautiful  National,  that  so 
soon  as  we  learned  it  was  that  edifice  on  fire  we 
fell  into  the  current  of  thousands  who  were  has- 
tening to  the  spot. 

"We  found  the  entire  house  completely  envel- 
oped—  the  flames  flashing  upward,  fifty  feet  above 
the  Avails,  and  roaring  like  a  cataract.  The  safety 
of  the  adjoining  buildings,  now  occupied  the  at- 
tention of  the  intrepid  firemen,  who  were  making 
every  exertion  in  their  power  to  rescue  them  from 
the  raging,  devouring  element.  As  yet  the  beau- 
tiful French  church  was  untouched,  and  its  mar- 
ble walls  and  zinc  dome,  it  was  hoped  would  save 
it,  though  so  much  exposed. 

"With  a  friend,  who  from  boyhood  has  clamber- 
ed the  giddy  mast,    we  passed  up   through    the 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       35 

house  adjoining  the  church  to  a  flight  of  steps 
leading  across  an  alley  to  the  roof  of  that  classic 
model  of  a  Christian  Temple.  From  this  eleva- 
tion we  could  see  down  into  the  very  interior  of 
the  Theatre,  which  presented  the  appearance  of  a 
huge  cauldron  of  molten  gold,  bubbling  and  sway- 
ing from  side  to  side  with  terrific  fury. 

"The  summit  of  the  dome  of  the  church  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  "lantern,11  that  has  been  the  admi- 
ration of  all  lovers  of  architecture.  Fatal  to  this 
classic  edifice  was  this  crowning  beauty.  While 
we  were  standing  on  its  roof,  this  wooden  lantern, 
heated  almost  to  ignition,  took  fire  from  a  spark. 
At  this  moment  to  an  unmoved  spectator  the 
church  presented  the  most  beautiful  sight  imagin- 
able. Totally  uninjured  stood  this  specimen  of 
the  simple  Ionic  architecture,  graceful  in  all  its 
proportions,  with  an  air  of  purity  divine,  from  the 
whiteness  of  the  marble,  well  suited  to  the  worship 
to  which  it  was  devoted,  when  there  burst  forth  a 
vivid  light  from  the  summit  of  its  lantern,  that  for 
nearly  one  hour  was  the  only  portion  of  the  build- 
ing on  fire.  A  true  "  fire- worshipper 11  would 
have  unconsciously  fallen  on  his  knees  in  adoration, 
could  he  have  seen  this  manifestation  of  the  god 


36       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

he  worships.     We  never  saw  anything  more  beau- 
tiful and  impressive. 

"At  length  this  treacherous  ornament  conveyed 
the  fire  to  the  dome,  and  we  now  found  it  getting 
uncomfortable  to  remain  longer  at  this  dizzy  height, 
and  the  excitement  for  a  moment  was  somewhat  in- 
tense, when  we  recollected  that  the  flight  of  stairs 
by  which  we  came  must  be  cut  away  to  prevent 
the  fire  being  communicated  to  the  adjoining  house, 
occupied  by  the  worthy  Pastor  of  the  church. 

"We  hurriedly  passed  this  bridge, — not  "of 
sighs," — though  it  reminded  us  of  that  Venitian 
structure,  and  met  the  energetic  fireman,  with  axe 
in  hand,  to  demolish  this  connecting  link,  which 
purpose  he  soon  effected. 

"Three  churches,  as  many  private  buildings,  to- 
gether with  the  Theatre,  were  now  on  fire,  and 
the  scene,  from  an  adjoining  house-top  was  grand 
in  the  extreme. 

"It  is  from  no  lack  of  sympathy  with  the  unfor- 
tunate sufferers,  that  we  have  thus  alluded  to  this 
sad  catastrophe.      Most  sincerely  do  we  participate 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.      37 

with  the  entire  community  in  sorrowing  for  their 
loss,  and  most  ready  shall  we  be  found  to  lend  eve- 
ry aid  in  our  power  to  further  any  plan  adopted 
for  the  relief  of  those  so  suddenly  deprived  of  the 
means  of  exercising  their  profession. " 

A  few  evenings  after  this  lamentable  occurrence, 
some  three  hundred  of  the  most  enterprising  citi- 
zens of  this  city,  met  at  the  Astor  House  to  testify 
their  sympathy  and  continued  friendship  for  Mr. 
Wallack,  and.  with  the  intention  of  devising  some 
plan  where  by  a  new  Theatre  could  be  erected, 
and  placed  under  his  management. 

Thus  encouraged,  Mr.  Wallack  immediately 
transferred  his  company  to  the  theatre  connected 
with  Niblo's  Garden,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that 
his  commendable  course,  which  displayed,  under 
the  trying  circumstances,  an  uncommon  degree  of 
fortitude  and  perseverance,  was  promptly  respond- 
ed to  by  the  public,  and  he  was,  with  his  company, 
greeted  by  an  immense  concourse  of  sympathizing 
friends,  eager  to  demonstrate  their  appreciation  of 
his  talents  as  manager  and  actor,  and  his  worth  as 
a  man. 


38       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN, 

His  prosperity,  however,  was  of  short  duration. 
Mr.  and  Miss  Vanderhoof,  having  been  previous- 
ly engaged  to  play  at  the  old  theatre,  soon  after  ap- 
peared here,  achieving  considerable  success,  by 
their  original  and  finished  representations,  and  were 
followed  by  Mr.  Charles  Kean,  etc.  but  after  an 
energetic  struggle  of  a  few  weeks  only,  against  a 
then  unfortunate  location,  the  disadvantages  of  a 
cramped  house,  and  the  severities  of  the  times,  Mr. 
Wallack  threw  open  his  theatre  for  the  last  time, 
on  Monday  evening,  November  18th,  1839,  Mr. 
Forrest  appearing  on  the  occasion,  as  Macbeth. 

At  the  close  of  the  tragedy,  Mr.  "Wallack  an- 
swered the  call  of  the  audience,  by  coming  forward, 
evidently  much  affected  by  the  enthusiastic  cheer- 
ing, yet  sufficiently  self-possessed  to  make  a  lucid, 
earnest,  and  feeling  address,  in  which  he  explain- 
ed very  satisfactorily  to  his  friends,  after  recount- 
ing the  misfortunes  that  had  befallen  him,  the 
causes  that  compelled  him  to  abandon  all  further 
attempts  to  continue  longer  so  disastrous  an  ex- 
periment. He  soon  after  played  a  short  time  at 
the  Chatham  Theatre,  and  subsequently  returned 
to  England. 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       39 

For  the  next  ten  years,  Mr.  Wallace:  played 
star  engagements  in  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain,  in  the  meantime  accepting  the  position  of 
leading  actor  and  stage-manager,  at  the  Princess's 
Theatre  in  London,  and  there  achieving  one  of  his 
greatest  triumphs  in  the  year  1843,  as  Don  Cea- 
sar  de  Bazan. 

N.  P.  Willis,  Esq.,  in  writing  from  London,  in 
this  year,  says:  "I  have  passed  one  evening  of 
great  amusement  at  the  Princess's  Theatre, — Wal- 
lace; playing  in  the  two  principal  pieces.  '  Don 
Ceasar  de  Bazan,''  which  you  have  had  in  Amer- 
ica, was  one  of  them,  and  it  seems  conceived  and 
written  specially  for  this  fine  actor's  peculiar  pow- 
ers. The  high-born  Spanish  gentleman,  in  pride 
and  rags,  indomitably  gay  in  his  worst  perils  and 
extremities,  and  preserving  his  elegance  through 
all  his  trials  and  tatters,  could  never  be  represent- 
ed with  more  admirable  truth  and  attractiveness. 
The  abandon  with  which  Wallace:  plays,  seem- 
ingly carried  away  by  the  gaiety  of  his  part,  yet 
always  true  to  nature  and  to  the  poet's  meaning, 
gives  his  performances,  to  me,  a  charm  irresistible. 
He  was  the  attraction  of  the  night,  and  the  theatre 
was  crammed  to  suffocation." 


40       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

Mr.  Wallack  afterwards  became  stage-manager 
of  the  Haymarket,  where,  in  1851,  he  introduced 
to  a  London  audience  his  nephew,  Mr.  J.  W.  Wal- 
lace, Jr.,  before  referred  to,  and  who  resembles, 
by  the  way,  in  a  remarkable  manner,  his  uncle,  af- 
ter whom  he  was  named.  The  likeness  will  ap- 
pear still  stronger  to  those  who  remember  the  lat- 
ter twenty-five  or  thirty  years  since. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Mr.  Wallack  was  vis- 
ited with  a  severe  affliction,  in  the  loss  of  his  esti- 
mable wife,  and  he  himself  was  shortly  afterwards 
laid  upon  a  couch  of  sickness,  from  which  it  was 
feared  he  would  never  arise. 

So  serious,  indeed,  was  his  condition  supposed, 
that  his  son,  Mr.  Lester  Wallack,  then  perform- 
ing at  Burton's  Theatre  in  New  York,  received  a 
summons  to  London,  urging  his  departure  in  the 
mail  steamer  without  delay. 

But  our  actor's  life  was  then  spared,  although 
many  months  elapsed,  before  he  could  be  pronounc- 
ed convalescent. 

Mr.  Wallaces  last  appearance  in  his  native 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALL ACK,    "SEN.      41 

land  was  at  the  Haymarket  in  the  same  year,  per- 
forming among  other  characters,  St  Pierre,  (in 
Jas.  Sheridan  Knowle's  play  of  the  Wife,)  to  the 
Mariana  of  Miss  Laura  Addison,  since  deceased. 

This  brings  us  down  to  a  period  fraught  with-so 
many  pleasant  memories  connected  with  the  thea- 
tres in  which  we  of  this  latter  day,  have  been  so 
wont  to  associate  the  name,  genius,  and  liberality 
of  him  who,  as  the  "buried  old  man  of  seventy," 
our  minds  now  and  will  ever,  revert  with  mingled 
regret  and  sorrow. 

In  the  year  1851,  he  decided  to  permanently 
make  his  home  in  this  country,  the  scene  of  his 
earlier  joys  and  triumphs,  and  over  nearly  every 
part  of  which  he  had  travelled,  steadily  and  deserv- 
edly gathering  around  him  hosts  of  friends. 

In  1852  he  took  possession  of,  and  became  the 
manager  of  the  theatre  on  Broadway,  near  Broome 
Street,  (formerly  Brougham's  Lyceum,)  which  he 
conducted  with  uninterrupted  success,  and  to  the 
advancement  and  improvement  of  which  he  unceas- 
ingly devoted  nine  years. 


42      MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM   WALLACK,   SEN. 

The  first  performance  under  Mr.  Wallace's 
management,  at  that  popular  place  of  amusement, 
took  place  on  the  evening  of  September  8th,  1852, 
the  whole  interior  of  the  house  having  undergone 
marked  improvements,  and  presenting  an  elegant 
and  inviting  appearance. 

The  theatre  was  crowded  to  excess,  and  intense 
interest  and  enthusiasm  was  manifested  in  the  suc- 
cess of  our  manager's  undertaking. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  excellent  comedy,  u  The 
Way  to  Get  Married"  which  was  finely  represent- 
ed, having  in  the  cast  Messrs.  Lester  Wallack, 
Blake,  Walcot,  Mrs.  Buckland,  etc.,  etc.,  there 
was  a  unanimous  call  for  Mr.  Wallack,  and  his  ap- 
pearance on  the  stage  was  a  signal  for  the  most 
vociferous  and  long-continued  applause  from  the 
audience,  many  of  his  personal  friends  standing  up, 
waving  their  hats  and  handkerchiefs,  and  shouting 
most  energetically.  Having  at  length  obtained 
silence,  Mr.  Wallack  addressed  the  audience  as 
follows  : 

"  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  :  You  are  perhaps  aware  that 
I  have  suffered  very  much  from  ill  health  for  the  last  two 
years,  and  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  trod  the  boards  of 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,  SEN.       43 

a  theatre  for  seventeen  months.     But,  thank  God,  I  am 
well  again.     ( Cheers.) 

"  I  feel  that  respect  for  my  audience  should  have  induced 
me  to  prepare  a  speech  on  this  occasion ;  but  I  have  not 
studied  one,  and  even  if  I  had  done  so,  it  would  have  all 
vanished  from  my  brain  when  I  came  here  among  you, 
and  heard  your  applauses.  Therefore,  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, you  must  take  it  for  granted  that  I  mean  sincerely 
what  I  say,  and  you  will  forgive  my  want  of  eloquence 
since  you  have  taken  my  feelings  by  storm.  {Loud  Cheers.) 
It  is  now  thirty  years  since  I  first  appeared  before  a  New 
York  audience.  I  was"  then  in  the  young  blood  of  life,  and 
I  met  with  a  reception  like  that  which  cheers  me  to-night. 

"  They  hailed  the  young  man  with  enthusiasm,  and  en- 
couraged him  as  they  do  now  the  old  man.  He  owes  his 
success  to  your  kindness  and  forbearance,  and,  for  thirty 
years,  in  all  the  visits  he  has  made,  in  all  the  branches  of 
his  art,  your  enthusiasm  and  encouragement,  your  great 
kindness  and  forbearance  bore  him  up  and  furnished  him 
with  greater  power.  He  is  happy  to  find  the  same  feeling 
towards  him  continued. 

"Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  I  became  a  manager,  as  you 
may  remember.  I  am  sure  there  are  many  here  who  re- 
member the  old  National.  You  were  pleased  to  approve  of 
my  management  then,  and  I  trust  experience  as  a  manager, 
in  the  little  village  of  London,  has  since  made  me  a  little 


44       MEMOIR   OF  JAMES   WILLIAM   WALLACK,  SEN. 

more  worthy  of  jour  patronage.  ( Cheers.)  It  is  now  thir- 
teen years,  since, —  and  I  am  certain  yon  all  regret  it, —  we 
lost  that  beautiful  building  by  fire.  It  is,  therefore  thir- 
teen years  since  I  addressed  you  in  the  character  of  a  man- 
ager, and  it  is  five  years  since  I  acted  before  you.  The 
National  was  a  fine,  gallant,  first-rate  old  ship,  full  of  all 
kinds  of  accommodations ;  but  we  have  no  doubt  that  this 
nice  little  frigate,  with  the  noble  and  industrious  hands 
to  support  her,  will  sail  in  the  full  favor  of  your  approba- 
tion.    {Cheers.) 

"  My  object  was  to  bring  together  those  whom  I  knew 
to  be  established  favorites  with  you.  Most  of  them  are 
here,  and  I  will  present  to  you  soon,  very  soon,  new  can- 
didates for  your  favor,  and  a  few  old  ones,  for  I  will  act 
in  a  few  days  myself.  {Cheers.)  The  style  of  our  per- 
formances, ladies  and  gentlemen,  will  be  high  comedy,  the 
highest  and  best  class  of  farces,  vaudevil,  etc.,  dramas  of 
.  stirring  interest,  such  as  the  "  Rent  Day,"  "  Don  Ceasar  de 
Bazan,"  etc.  And  we  will  give  you  novelties,  new  pieces. 
but  no  tragedy,  much  as  I  love  it ;  for  it  was  a  tragedy  I 
played  in  for  the  first  fifteen  visits  out  of  nineteen,  that  I 
made  to  the  United  States. 

u  But  my  object  is,  to  make  you  laugh,  not  to  make  you 
weep.  It  now  remains  to  see  how  I  will  perform  my  prom- 
ises to  you.  I  know  you  will  support  me,  and  that  I  will 
be  well  supported  by  the  company  ;  I  know  that  if  I  de- 
sire it,  that  I  will  get  a  portion  of  that  favor  which  others 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.      45 

in  the  city  so  desevedly  receive.  All  I  ask  and  sue  for,  is 
a  fair  share,  if  I  deserve  it.  I  go  with  the  times  ;  but  though 
I  have  not  the  vanity  to  go  before  them,  I  am  too  quick  to 
be  left  behind.  {Cheers.)  If  I  gain  your  approbation,  I 
shall  be  content.  You  will  be  satisfied,  and  I  will  see  your 
smiling  faces  till  the  last  of  the  season." 

Mr.  Wallack  concluded  this  characteristic 
speech  amid  tumultuous  applause  from  all  parts 
of  the  house,  and  withdrew.  With  the  amusing 
farce  of  the  Boarding- School,  in  which  the  whole 
company  appeared,  the  entertainments  of  the  even- 
ing terminated. 

After  inaugurating  his  own  little  play-house  and 
playing  there  a  brief  engagement,  he,  in  November 
following,  appeared  in  Boston  at  the  New  Nation- 
al Theatre,  (the  old  house,  like  its  New  York  name- 
sake, having  been  burned  down  a  few  years  before. ) 

Mr.  Wallack  had  been  engaged  to  perform  at  the 
new  theatre  early  in  September,  but  the  opening 
night  had  been  postponed,  owing  to  a  number  of  un- 
foreseen circumstances,  resulting  most  disastrously 
for  the  worthy  lessee,  Mr.  Joseph  Leonard. 

Mr.  Wallack,  with  that  courtesy  which  had  ev- 


«*fe 


46      MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM   WALLACK,   SEN. 

er  distinguished  him,  wrote  to  the  management, 
regretting  that  circumstances  were  as  they  were, 
and  concluded  by  saying,  "  when  you  want  me,  let 
me  know."  At  the  appointed  time  therefore,  No- 
vember 2 2d,  he  was  not  found  wanting. 

Being  always  an  especial  favorite  in  Boston,  he 
attracted  on  this  occasion  the  most  fashionable  au- 
diences and  astonished  his  oldest  friends,  those  who 
recollected  him  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  by  his 
acting,  which,  in  its  artistic  finish,  seemed  but  little 
impaired  by  time. 

His  benefit  was  attended  by  the  elite  of  the  city, 
and  being  honored  with  a  call  before  the  curtain, 
he  acquitted  himself  in  a  handsome  manner,  by 
speaking  a  good  word  for  the  management,  a  flat- 
tering notice  of  Mr.  G.  V.  Brooke,  the  well-known 
tragedian,  whose  engagement  was  to  succeed  his, 
and  extended  an  invitation  to  all  to  visit  him  at 
Wallace:' s  Theatre  in  New  York. 

In  the  clever  sketches  of  eminent  performers, 
entitled  "Actors  as  They  Are,1'  published  in  this 
city  by  Mr.  Roorbach,  a  few  years  ago,  we  find 
the  following : 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,  SEN.       47 

"  Mr.  Wallack  opened  his  theatre  on  Broadway 
under  the  most  unfavorable  circumstances.  The 
company  he  had  engaged  was  a  large  and  expen- 
sive one, — the  inauguration  of  his  season  had  been 
unpromising, — thousands  of  dollars  had  been  lost 
before  the  possibility  of  realizing  one  dollar  had 
been  presented.  In  this  dilemma,  Mr.  Wallaces 
company  stood  manfully  by  him.  Theirs  was  a 
zeal  removed  entirely  out  of  ordinary  relations ; 
and  the  result  was,  that  the  season  terminated 
triumphantly. " 

As  an  evidence  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held,  by  those  by  whom  he  was  surrounded  in 
his  professional  duties,  he  was  again,  in  the  year 
1855,  tendered  by  the  members  of  his  own  compa- 
ny, together  with  numerous  other  artists, — several 
of  whom  occupied  the  foremost  position  on  the 
American  stage,  —  a  complimentary  benefit. 

This  "Testimonial"  took  place  on  the  afternoon 
and  evening  of  May  29  th,  at  the  Academy  of  Mu- 
sic, on  Fourteenth  Street,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
successful  demonstrations  of  the  kind  ever  gotten 
up  in  this  city. 

Probably  on  no  other  occasion  was  so  large  an 


48        MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM   WALLACK,   SEN. 

audience  ever  convened  within  the  walls  of  this 
magnificent  building ;  the  seats  being  all  taken,  and 
every  available  inch  of  standing-room  closely  con- 
tested. 

The  programme  for  the  evening,  included  the 
names  of  Messrs.  Edwin  Forrest  and  E.  L.  Dav- 
enport, Miss  Vining  (now  Mrs.  E.  L.  Davenport,  ) 
etc.,  etc.,  and  consisted  of  Banim's  well-known  and 
popular  play  of  "Damon  and  Pythias"  and  the 
fine  English  comedy  of  "  The  Poor  Gentleman" 
since  one  of  the  standard  attractions  of  "old 
Wallack's." 

The  acting  of  the  first  piece  was  undoubtedly  the 
best  ever  seen  in  New  York, — Mr.  Forrest's  per- 
formance of  Damon,  grand,  dignified,  noble,  and 
impassioned, — while  Mr.  Davenport's  Pythias  was 
a  truly  beautiful  and  judicious  rendition  of  that 
favorite  role. 

Miss  Vining  played  on  this  occasion,  the  difficult 
part  of  Calanthe  with  a  great  deal  of  power.  Be- 
tween the  acts,  and  at  the  close  of  the  play,  Mr.  For- 
rest, Mr.  Davenport,  and  Miss  Vining,  were  sev- 
erally called  before  the  curtain  to  receive  the  accla- 
mations of  the  delighted  audience. 


* 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM   WALLACK,  SEN.       49 

Mr.  Wallack  then  being  vociferously  called  for, 
the  veteran  in  a  few  moments  appeared  before  the 
footlights,  looking  as  hearty  as  ever,  and  acknowl- 
edged the  plaudits  of  the  audience  with  that  ex- 
quisite grace  which  was  one  of  the  greatest  charms 
of  his  acting. 

When  the  excitement  and  enthusiastic  demon- 
strations had  subsided,  he  made  a  brief  and  pertinent 
speech,  saying  that  he  "had  trusted  to  the  occasion 
to  inspire  him,  and  that  he  was,  therefore,  alto- 
gether unprepared.  Such  triumphs  as  these,11  he 
continued,  "were  most  grateful  to  the  heart  of  the 
actor,  who,  by  the  peculiarity  of  his  vocation,  was 
prevented  from  having  any  test,  other  than  the 
public  voice,  of  the  merit  of  his  efforts. 

"  The  painter  or  the  sculptor  could  see  and  judge 
of  the  effect  of  his  work  after  it  had  left  his  hands, 
but  the  successes  of  the  actor  were  entirely  ephem- 
eral. After  the  triumph  of  a  night,  they  passed 
away;  therefore,  the  brilliant  scene  before  him 
was  the  more  gratifying  to  him,  (Mr.  Wallack,) 
because  it  was  a  proof  that  his  efforts  had  been  ap- 
preciated.11 

In  passing,  he  paid  a  graceful  compliment  to 


50       MEMOIR    OF    JAMES   WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

Mr.  Forrest,  whom  tie  called  "the  great  tragedian 
of  the  American  stage,1'  and  returned  thanks  to 
Mr.  Davenport,  Miss  Vining,  and  other  artists, 
who  had  volunteered  their  services. "  He  closed 
by  saying  that  "this  affair  was  a  free-will  offering 
to  him,  by  his  company  and  others  of  his  profession, 
and  he  accepted  it,  not  as  some  journals  had  hint- 
ed, as  a  mendicant,  ( it  having  been  so  represented 
in  several  of  the  newspapers  of  the  day, )  but  as  a 
gentleman.  He  had  been  over  forty  years  con- 
nected with  the  stage,  and  thirty- seven  years  with 
American  theatres,  as  an  actor  and  manager. 
The  public  had  had  ample  opportunities  to  judge 
of  his  merit  in  both  positions,  and  he  intended 
they  should  see  more  of  him.,, 

Mr.  Wallack  then  retired  amid  the  most  deaf- 
ening applause. 

The  "Poor  Gentleman,"  concluded  the  evening's 
performances,  and  was  admirably  played  by  the 
"Comedy  company,"  the  charming  and  accom- 
plished comedienne,  Mrs.  Hoey,  (so  long  the  leading 
actress  of  Wallack's  theatre,)  being  substitut- 
ed for  Miss  Rosa  Bennett  who  had  been  cast  for 
Emily  Worthington,  but  was  prevented  by  illness 
from  appearing. 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN.       51 

The  receipts  on  this  occasion  were  variously  es- 
timated to  have  been  from  three  to  four  thousand 
dollars,  and  must  have  been  highly  gratifying  to 
Mr.  Wallack  and  his  friends. 

In  the  fall  of  this  year,  he  made  his  re- appearance 
for  the  first  time,  professionally,  in  twelve  months, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  complimentary  benefit  ex- 
tended to  Mr.  George  H.  Barrett,  (who  does  not 
remember  poor  "  Gentleman  George"  as  u  Sir 
Harcourt  Courtly  ? )  on  his  final  retirement  from 
the  stage. 

The  voluntary  aid  proffered  for  this  praiseworthy 
object,  numbered  over  one  hundred  of  the  princi- 
pal performers  in  the  country,  the  services  of  ma- 
ny of  whom  the  committee  were  necessarily  obliged 
to  dispense  with,  and  those  accepted  were  contrib- 
uted chiefly  by  the  Broadway  and  Wallack' s  the- 
atres. 

Mr.  Wallack,  on  this  evening,  (it  being  at  the 
Academy  of  Music,  November  20th,  1855,)  ap- 
peared in  his  beautiful  impersonation  of  Shylock 
in  the  " Merchant  of  Venice,'''1  supported  by  Ma- 
dame Ponisi,  Mr.  Henry  Placide,  etc.  The  after- 
piece  was    Sheridan's    splendid    comedy    of   the 


52       MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

" School  for  Scandal"  Messrs.  Blake,  Lester 
Wallack,  Brougham,  Charles  Fisher,  T.  Placide, 
Mrs.  Julia  Dean  Hayne,  etc.,  performing,  form- 
ing altogether  a  perfect  and  unequaled  cast. 

Previous  to  the  comedy,  Mr.  Barrett  appeared 
before  the  curtain,  having  his  children  by  the  hand, 
arid  took  leave  of  the  public,  in  a  short  and  feeling 
address. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Wallack  enjoyed  at  his 
little  theatre  near  Broome  Street,  an  unvarying 
success  for  over  nine  years,  during  which  period 
he  was  the  acknowledged  leader  of  dramatic  art 
in  America,  and  his  theatre  rose  to  a  rank  which 
no  other  had  held  in  this  community. 

At  this  house  closed  his  career  as  an  actor, 
having  performed  there,  within  the  above  time, 
many  of  his  principal  characters,  among  Avhich  may 
be  enumerated,  Shylock,  Benedict,  (Much  Ado 
About  Nothing, )  Jaques,  (As  You  Like  It, )  Mar- 
tin Heywood,  (Bent  Day,)  Erasmus  Bookivorm, 
(The  Scholar,)  Rover,  (Wild  Oats,)  Sir  Edward 
Mortimer,  ( Iron  Chest, )  Dick  Dashall,  ( My 
Aunt,)  Don  Ceasar  de  Bazan,  etc.,  etc. 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,  SEN.        53 

The  first  piece,  "The  Merchant  of  Venice,11  he 
produced  on  the  night  of  the  9th  of  December, 
1858,  as  a  great  Shakesperian  revival,  with  new 
and  superb  scenery,  costumes,  properties,  etc. 

It  had  an  unparalleled  run;  his  rendition  of  the 
character  of  the  "merciless  Shylock"  being  uni- 
versally commended,  and  eliciting  the  warm  ad- 
miration of  thousands  who  witnessed  it,  including 
representatives  from  all  the  departments  of  litera- 
ture and  the  drama,  and  it  was  pronounced  by  all 
a  chaste  and  beautiful  performance. 

The  last  representations  in  which  he  took  part 
were  at  this  theatre,  where  in  1859,  he  performed 
most  of  the  above  parts,  besides  sustaining  for  up- 
wards of  a  hundred  nights  the  leading  character 
[Colonel  Delmar,)  in  an  exciting  military  drama, 
written  by  his  son,  Mr.  Lester  Wallack,  entitled 
"  The  Veteran.'1'1 

In  1861,  he  built  his  present  Wallack's  Theatre, 
on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Thirteenth  Street, 
producing  on  the  opening  night  a  new  play  with 
an  apropos  title,  ("The  New  President,11)  himself 
appearing  at  the  close  of  the  piece,  in  citizen^ 
dress,  to  deliver  a  brief  managerial  address. 


54        MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

At  the  close  of  this  season,  (in  1862,)  which  was 
marked  with  the  most  unprecedented  prosperity, 
he  again  appeared  before  the  curtain,  to  address  a 
few  words  to  his  numerous  patrons  and  friends 
who  assembled  on  this,  as  on  all  like  occasions,  in 
overflowing  numbers. 

This  was  his  last  appearance  in  any  public  ca- 
pacity, and  although  it  had  been  hoped  that  he 
might  once  more  be  enabled  to  delight  and  charm 
his  many  thousand  admirers,  by  a  repetition  of  his 
many  beautiful  impersonations,  still,  the  increasing 
ailments  attendant  upon  advanced  age,  and  the 
too  apparent  symptoms  of  declining  health  and  an 
impaired  constitution,  forbade  all  chances  of  the 
wishes  of  his  friends  being  consummated. 

Mr.  Wallace  had  been  for  several  years  in  fe- 
ble  health,  suffering  from  a  complication  of  diseas- 
es, among  which  gout  and  asthma  were  most  prom- 
inent, and  only  a  naturally  strong  constitution,  and 
the  most  careful  medical  attendance,   had  enabled 

0 

him  so  long  to  survive. 

Several  times  within  the  past  four  years  he  had 
been  pronounced  at  the  point  of  death ;  but  he 
rallied  with  unusual  vigor  after  every  attack,   and 


MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       55 

regained  strength  from  the  sea-breezes  of  his  Long 
Island  villa. 

It  had  been  only  within  the  past  two  or  three 
months,  however,  that  any  serious  apprehensions 
had  been  felt  concerning  the  result  of  his  illness, 
and  until  the  beginning  of  the  last  week  previous 
to  his  decease,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  receiving 
visitors,  and  of  personally  directing  the  affairs  of 
his  theatre,  so  that  the  immediate  occurrence  of  his 
death  must  have  been  almost  entirely  unexpected. 

That  mournful  event,  however,  transpired  but 
too  soon  and  he  died  at  his  residence  in  Fourteenth 
Street,  near  Third  Avenue,  early  on  the  morning 
of  the  25th  of  December,  1864,  "while  the  Christ- 
mas bells  were  chiming, ' 1  and  on  the  following 
Tuesday,  his  remains  were  consigned  to  the  family 
vault  in  Greenwood  Cemetery. 

The  funeral  was  conducted  unostentatiously,  and 
in  a  quiet  manner,  it  being  in  accordance  with  the 
special  request  of  the  deceased. 

Mr.  Wallack  was  about  the  medium  height, 
gracefully  proportioned,  and  possessing  an  air  of 
dignity  and  intelligence.     His  dress  was   always 


56       MEMOIR   OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

scrupulously  neat,   and  with  the  most  fastidious 
taste,  having  somewhat  of  a  Parisian  appearance. 

Of  late  years  he  walked  with  a  cane,  and  a  care- 
ful observer  might  have  noticed  that  he  pursued  his 
steps  toilsomely  and  with  apparent  difficulty. 

He  was,  probably,  up  to  the  time  of  his  retiring 
from  the  stage,  the  best  of  the  old  school  of  actors, 
and  although  critics  might  be  disposed  to  question 
his  genius  in  the  highest  walks  of  tragedy,  still  his 
eminence  was  a  well-established  fact,  and  his 
reputation  was  greatest  in  dramas  of  a  romantic 
and  picturesque  order,  in  which  his  vigor,  fire,  and 
dashing  energy,  are  said  to  have  produced  the 
most  extraordinary  effects. 

His  Bolla  was  great, — and  universally  pro- 
nounced an  unrivalled  performance  of  its  kind, — 
his  Julian  St.  Pierre,  unapproachable; — his  Ru- 
ben Glenroy,  superb;  —  his  Benedict,  a  master- 
piece ;  —  his  Shyloch  and  Don  Ceasar,  admirable. 

In  comedy  and  farce  he  also  displayed  great 
abilities,  and  the  above  characters  will  convey 
some  idea  of  his  peculiar  and  versatile  talents. 


MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.       57 

As  a  manager,  he  has  given  us  the  best  Comedy 
theatre  in  the  country. 

To  say  that  Mr.  Wallack  attained  perfection  in 
his  theatrical  management,  would  be  crediting  him 
with  the  accomplishment  of  an  impossibility;  but 
to  say  that  he  always  aimed  at  perfection,  and 
strove  by  every  legitimate  means  within  his  grasp 
to  secure  it,  and  that  the  result  of  his  endeavors 
was  an  elevation  of  theatrical  intelligence  and  cul- 
ture to  a  standard  much  higher  than  that  achieved 
by  any  of  his  predecessors  or  cotemporaries,  is  the 
simple  and  universally  recognized  truth. 

Mr.  Wallace's  theatre  has  won  the  just  repu- 
tation of  being  superior  to  any  other  in  which  the 
English  language  is  spoken,  and  for  this  we  have 
Mr.  Wallack  alone  to  be  grateful. 

The  material  had  all  along  been  ready  here,  but 
the  enterprise  to  rightly  adjust  and  control  it  was 
wanting  until  he  came. 

He  had  learned,  by  long  and  varied  experience, 
that  the  true  way  to  command  success  in  his  pro- 
fession is  to  thoroughly  and  honestly  deserve  it ; 
and  that  although  transient  prosperity  may  follow 


58       MEMOIR    OF    JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 

startling  departures  from  the  golden  theatrical 
rule,  endurincf  fortune  can  only  be  gained  by 
faithfully  maintaining  it. 

The  sense  of  his  obligations  and  duties  as  a 
manager  never  forsook  him,  and  he  resolved  that 
the  last  remainder  of  his  failing  strength  should  be 
devoted  to  the  interest  and  protection  of  the  art 
which  he  had  loved  and  adorned,  and  which  he  had 
planted  here  in  New  York,  upon  the  firmest  basis 
ever  known. 

As  a  man,  Mr.  Wallack  had  hosts  of  friends, 
and  deserved  them. 

Cultivated  and  honorable,  nothing  offended  him 
more  than  vulgarity,  and  nothing  exasperated  him 
more  than  over- reaching. 

His  dignity  and  simple  courtesy  were  no  less 
familiar  to  all  who  approached  him,  than  the  affa- 
bility and  generous  feeling  which  inspired  all  his 
words  and  deeds. 

Fond  of  a  jovial,  intellectual  life,  he  delighted 
in  merry,  intelligent  companions,  and  no  one  knew 


MEMOIR    OF    JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,  SEN.        59 

better  than  himself  how  to  entertain  others  with 
wit,  humor,  and  interesting  conversation. 

He  was  greatly  attached  to  the  profession  of 
which  he  was  such  "a  well- deserving  pillar,"  and 
was  full  of  reminiscences  of  the  distinguished  mem- 
bers of  it,  with  whom  he  had  come  in  contact  in 
his  long  career.  Possessed,  too,  of  a  kindly  heart, 
his  private  charities  were  very  large. 

Among  the  members  of  his  company  he  was 
held  in  the  most  enthusiastic^  affection,  to  all  of 
whom  his  death  will  come  as  a  personal  affliction. 

His  fondness  for  children,  too,  was  proverbial, 
being  devotedly  attached  to  his  young  grand-chil- 
dren ;  and  God,  in  his  infinite  mercy  and  goodness, 
ordained  that  he  should  close  his  eyes  in  death 
with  his  favorites  near  him  on  Christmas  day. 

To  those  to  whom  he  was  thus  endeared,  and  to 
his  eldest  son  especially,  — whose  bereavement  is 
nearer  and  more  grievous, — the  deepest  sympathies 
of  the  community  will  be  unfeignedly  accorded. 
Thus  has  passed  away  from  this  earth,  after  "life's 
fitful  fever,"  James  William  Wallace,  the  most 


60        MEMOIR    OF   JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,   SEN. 


accomplished  of  actors,  and  one  of  the  most  pol- 
ished gentlemen  on  the  stage. 


"  Peace  to  his  ashes !  Distant  realms  combine, 

Lamented  artist,  thus  to  honor  thine  ! 

Friends  of  the  drama !  Be  it  yours  to  mourn, 

And  place  fresh  chaplets  on  the  funeral  urn ; 

For  your  applause  he  ploughed  the  Atlantic  wave, 

And  found  a  welcome  where  he  found  a  grave."   (1) 

In  concluding  this  brief  memoir,  it  may  not  be 
improper  to  add  that  into  the  hands  of  his  eldest 
son,  Mr.  Lester  Wallack,  an  American  by  birth, 
and  for  so  long  the  efficient  stage-manager  of  his 
theatre,  has  now  passed  the  sole  control  of  the 
"comedy  theatre, "  and  that  in  those  hands  there 
is  every  assurance  of  the  same  career  of  well- de- 
served success  being  continued. 

The  following  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory 
of  one  whose  loss  as  an  artist  it  will  not  be  possi- 
ble to  repair,  any  more  than  to  fill  the  void  as  a 
man,  will  not,  I  trust,  be  inappropriately  append- 
ed: 

"At  a  meeting  of  managers  of  all  the  theatres 
and  places  of  amusement  in  New  York,   specially 


MEMOIR 'OF    JAMES    WILLIAM    WALLACK,    SEN.      61 


convened  at  the  Everett  House,   on  Friday,  De- 
cember 30th,  it  was, — 

"Resolved,  That  as  a  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory 
of  James  W.  Wallack,  who  did  more  than  any  one  of  his 
time  to  advance  and  elevate  the  drama,  and  who  equally  as  a 
gentleman,  a  manager,  and  an  artist,  was/or  so  many  years 
the  bright,  particular  ornament  of  our  profession,  and  also  as 
a  mark  of  sincere  sympathy  and  regard  for  his  son,  Mr. 
John  L.  Wallack,  the  worthy  inheritor  of  his  cul- 
tivated taste  and  refined  feeling,  the  managers  of  all  the 
other  theatres  in  New  York  will  attend  in  a  body  at 
Wallack's  Theatre,  on  Tuesday  Evening,  January  3d, 
being  the  occasion  of  the  first  appearance  of  Mr.  John  L. 
Wallack  in  a  position  in  which  we  feel  assured  he  will 
preserve  the  traditional  honors  that  surround  his  name. (2) 


"W.  Stuart,  Secretary:1 


NOTES. 


(1)  These  lines,  so  appropriate  at  this  time,  are  from  a  Monody  written  by  a 
gentleman  of  Philadelphia  in  1811  or  1812,  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of 
the  celebrated  tragedian,  George  Frederic  Cooke,  and  which  was  deliver- 
ed at  the  old  Chestnut  Street  Theatre  by  Mr.  Dcff. 


(From  the  New  York  Times,  Wednesday,  January  4th,  1865.) 
(2)  Wallack's  Theatre.  An  enthusiastic  welcome  was  extended  last 
evening  to  Mr.  J.  Lester  Wallace:,  who,  after  an  absence  from  the  stage,  the 
cause  of  which  every  one  laments,  returned  to  it  in  the  play  of  "Money," 
sustaining  his  well-known  part  of  Alfred  Evelyn.  The  event  was  celebrat- 
ed by  various  marks  of  favor,  which  those  who  were  present  could  appre- 
ciate more  delicately  than  we  can  record.  All  true  kindness,  like  sympa- 
thy, is  unspoken.  Suffice  it  that  the  house  was  crowded  to  its  greatest  ca- 
pacity, and  that  Mr.  J.  Lester  Wallack's  reception  was  so  warm  and 
significant  that  for  a  moment  he  was  choked  with  an  embarrassment, 
which,  according  to  an  old  saying,  brings  the  heart  into  the  mouth.  With 
a  delicate  geniality,  which  we  cannot  sufficiently  admire,  the  proprietors 
and  managers  of  all  our  principal  places  of  amusement  lent  their  presence 
to  the  occasion,  extending,  as  it  were,  their  hands — in  a  moment  of  mingled 
affection  and  consolation — to  a  comrade  whom  they  have  known  long,  and 
learnt  to  respect.  The  gentlemen  referred  to  were  Mr.  Stuart,  of  the 
Winter  Garden ;  Mr.  Wueatley,  of  Niblo's  ;  Mr.  Grau,  of  the  Italian  Opera ; 
Mr.  Fox,  of  the  Bowery  Theatre ;  Mr.  Barnum,  of  the  Museum ;  Mr.  Dan. 
Bryant,  of  Bryants'  Minstrels ;  and  Mr.  Wood,  of  Wood's  Minstrels. 

The  performance  was  in  every  respect  admirable,  and  the  satisfaction  ex- 
pressed was  complete.  We  shall,  on  another  occasion,  refer  to  the  distri- 
bution. We  desire  now  merely  to  join  the  common  voice  of  satisfaction 
that  receives  Mr.  J.  Lester  Wallack  as  the  new  manager  of  the  theatre 
that  his  late  father  has  made  honorable  to  the  art,  and  memorable  in  the 
annals  of  the  American  stage. 


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